CREST Assessors
For assessors: CREST criteria assessment guide
Click the criteria below to see what's expected of a project at each CREST Award level, and examples of the criteria being met. 1 – Planning the project 1.1 The student set a clear aim for the project and broke it down into smaller objectives 1.2 The ...
For assessors: 4.5 The student explained their project clearly, in writing or conversation
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student communicated the project in an understandable way. The project follows a structure and, where relevant, the student used a variety of ways to communicate information, such as images, graphs, ...
For assessors: 4.4 The student identified and overcame problems successfully
Evidence: It is highly unlikely a project was problem free. If no problems were encountered, the student should describe problems that could have occurred and how they were avoided. Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student showed ...
For assessors: 4.3 The student showed creative thinking
Explanation: This criterion draws on Bloom’s taxonomy. At Bronze level, the student showed evidence of working at the, “understanding” and, “applying” levels of cognition. At Silver level, the student showed evidence of working at the, “applying” ...
For assessors: 4.2 The student made decisions to direct the project, taking account of ethical and safety issues
Evidence: Risk assessments are a good form of evidence that health and safety have been considered at Silver and Gold level. Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student made decisions about how the project would progress with ongoing ...
For assessors: 4.1 The student showed understanding of the science behind their project, appropriate to their level.
Explanation: The subject knowledge and complexity of the project should be at these levels. Award level Criteria Bronze Key Stage 3/Level 1 3rd/4th level: First year – Third year (S1, S2, S3) IB Middle Years Programme Silver Key Stage 4/Level 2 ...
For assessors: 3.3 The student explained what they have learnt and reflected on what they could improve
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student explained what they learned and gave a few ways the project could be improved. I’ve learned a lot about dehydration, and more about how it can be treated. I think I developed my research and ...
For assessors: 3.2 The student explained how their actions and decisions affected the project’s outcome.
Explanation: This criterion is about understanding how the student’s actions and decisions affected the project. The student should be able to demonstrate a reflective approach. “I decided to do X and this changed my project in the following ways…” ...
For assessors: 3.1 The student made logical conclusions and explained the implications for the wider world
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student made logical conclusions and linked them to the wider world. From my research I can tell that water salt and sugar are the main components of oral rehydration solutions. This makes sense, as ...
For assessors: 2.2 The student researched the background to the project and acknowledged their sources appropriately
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student researched some background information and referred to their research in their project. Most of their research is from secondary sources – books, websites etc. We did some research in the ...
For assessors: 2.1 The student made good use of the materials and people available
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student used resources and people made available to them. I used the science lab at school and the IT suite during my lunch breaks. My teacher was really helpful when I had a problem and encouraged ...
For assessors: 1.5 The student planned and organised their time well
Explanation: This criterion is about evidencing their plan. For this criterion we want to see something explicit like a breakdown of timings and dates, a timeline or Gantt chart, depending on the project’s Award level. It’s insufficient for students ...
For assessors: 1.4 The student described their plan for the project and why they chose that approach
Explanation: This criterion is about stating the plan for the project at a high-level with students reflecting on and justifying their choices. Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student summarised the approach they will take and gave ...
For assessors: 1.3 The student identified a range of approaches to the project
Explanation: This criterion is about how the project as a whole will be achieved and not just the method for any experiments undertaken. Remember that there are different types of CREST projects. Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The ...
For assessors: 1.2 The student explained a wider purpose for the project
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The students explained the wider purpose of the project and gave some examples of real-world applications. This project is important as dehydration is an issue across the globe. Developing better ...
For assessors: 1.1 The student set a clear aim for the project and broke it down into smaller objectives
Award level Criteria breakdown Examples Bronze The student defined and clearly communicated the overall aim of their project and broke it down into smaller, achievable objectives. The aim for this project is to investigate the causes and consequences ...
Becoming an Assessor
Thanks for you interest in becoming a CREST Awards Assessor. CREST Silver and Gold Awards are assessed by trained STEM professionals. They are from a range of backgrounds and have expertise in various subjects. The role is perfect for qualified STEM ...
For assessors: Commercially sensitive projects
Occasionally our partners, such as EESW, Nuffield and the RAF will send through projects with a commercially sensitive projects form. We have accredited these projects and have given special permission for these projects to be internally assessed, ...
For assessors: Correct project attachments needed for a Silver or Gold project
A common issue are projects being submitted with the incorrect attachments included. A project submission (e.g. GO-0000000001) needs to have: 1x Project Work 1x or more student profile forms. This is based on the number of students entered on the ...
For assessors: Guidance on Nuffield Projects
First is it important to become acquainted with the Nufflield scheme. http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/nuffield-research-placements Generally, with these project submissions the students are asked to work on given an aspect of a much larger project ...
Guidance on standards of safety and ethics
The British Science Association refers to CLEAPSS on all matters health and safety related. Their student safety sheets provide guidance on how to work in a safe and ethical manner in schools. The safety sheets also provide guidance on animal testing ...
For assessors: How to award a lower level
If you are marking a project and part way through you feel it is not of the standard it was submitted for, continue to assess at that standard, and then offer the lower award. E.g. a submission for gold is actually at silver level. Assess the project ...
For assessors: How to give feedback
Feedback structure We advocate using the ‘Compliment Sandwich’ approach for giving feedback on CREST projects. You do this by: Starting with a positive - acknowledge something that was done well or you particularly liked about the project. Next, ...
What types of projects do we tend to see?
Practical These projects aim to answer a question, hypothesis or problem. They typically contain: A question, hypothesis or problem Project aims Planning of the methodology Evidence of the results Analysis of results Conclusion Design and Make These ...
For assessors: How do we define science?
The British Science Association defines science as a mindset, a way to ask questions about the world and test them out. In this document we use the term ‘science’ as an umbrella term for the natural and social sciences as well as technology, ...
CREST Assessor Portal
Hello CREST assessors, This page is your one stop shop for help while assessing CREST projects. Contents: Top tips - https://help.crestawards.org/portal/kb/articles/crest-assessor-top-tips Moderation ...
Assessor Administration Page
Availability: Please email crest@britishscienceassociation.org as soon as possible if your level of availability increases or decreases. Payment: Remember payment forms need to be submitted after the end of the month (ideally in the first week of ...
Assessor Plagiarism Guidance
Plagiarism: Omit any parts of the project that you suspect are plagiarised, then assess the project as normal. In the feedback to students, write your feedback as normal and state the parts you thought were plagiarised and what's lead you to this ...
Assessor Moderation Process
Please find the CREST Gold and Silver Award moderation policy below.
Other Assessor Top Tips
For a refresher on the online course content follow this link: https://crest-award-assessor-training.thinkific.com/ Project has multiple reports in it? If a submission has multiple projects included, then assess one of the projects as normal - ...